Berlin Central State Library Neighbourhood

(Uberbau, 2012) The new centre at the fringes of the former Tempelhof Airfield forms part of a larger urban regeneration scheme for the district, including a new quarter around the central library complete with a central city square.

The urban design re-interprets the Berlin block and creates a permeable, non-directional public network of small public spaces organized through a mix of building types with a focus on flexible typologies for various uses and users.

The urban plan thus creates intimacy as a complementary quality to the openness of the future airfield park and incorporates temporary, informal and permanent uses in a robust and flexible structure.

The library serves as a landmark that contrasts with the monumental wideness of the airfield. Concentrating the building mass into a compact cube frees up space for a public square for a variety of temporary and other uses such as community gardens. The design of the new central library achieves a highly efficient programme that can fulfill long-term logistical and practical demands.

The rectangular floor plan is based upon a fixed ring of services that provides ultimate accessibility to public and private activity. Within this ring of vertically and horizontally distributed services, scattered modules of activity are facilitated.